Introduction
Research at high pressures (P) and temperatures (T) focuses on mimicking the extreme conditions of the Earth's deep interior in the laboratory. We pressurize micrometer-sized samples between a pair of diamond-anvils and investigate samples, such as the lower mantle mineral perovskite, in-situ at P and T. The laser-heated diamond-anvil, high-pressure cell (LH-DAC) makes possible studies of phase diagrams and melting curves at high pressures (up to 150 GPa) and the study of materials in planetary interiors. Research at simultaneous high temperatures and pressures is relatively new. At present high-P-T research is controversial, and results can differ significantly between major international laboratories.
The laboratory is equipped for spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction measurements (at synchrotron sources) in the DAC. Optical scattering experiments such as spontaneous Raman spectroscopy provide a means to study distortions in bonding and pressure-induced structural or electronic phase transitions. Particular topics of interest in geophysics are the global and regional nature of the Earth's mantle and core, including their physical and chemical interactions